Rain showered Riverfront Park this Saturday during Salem’s annual World Beat Festival — but for Polynesian dance troupe Teva Oriata, which takes its name from rainy and cloudy imagery, it was only fitting. When introducing the dancers to an audience huddled under a rain tent, founder and per former Angie Jackman said that most of the dances and songs related to water and nature, so rain wasn’t unwelcome.Teva Oriata’s performances feature traditional dances from Tahitian, Samoan and Hawaiian cultures. The troupe’s name originates from Teva, a Tahitian chief said to be born in the wind and rain, and Oriata, the dance of the clouds, according to the group’s website.  The Beaverton-based group specializes in four Polynesian dance styles. Jackman grew up in Hawaii, and said that founding Teva Oriata was her way of bringing her home’s culture to the Pacific Northwest.Salem’s World Beat Festival, attended by thousands from around the state, highlights a different region each year. This year, held from Friday, June 26, through Sunday, June 28, celebrated the people and cultures of the Pacific Islands. Oceania covers three distinct cultural areas — Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia — and has more than 1,800 cultures and languages.  Jackman’s group has performed at World Beat before, but she said it was special to have Pacific Islanders featured this year.  “It does bring a sense of pride that our culture and our people are highlighted,” Jackman said. “It was really nice to have it be Pacific Islanders. And even through the rain and the chaos, it was fun.” The troupe joined around dozen other performers that shared traditional dance, music and storytelling from across the Pacific Islands throughout the weekend. In moments of clear sky or lighter rain, attendees shopped and ate at the around 100 tents organized by world region and representing over 70 cultures.  The European village featured pottery and paellas, which could be eaten while listening to the intermittent sounds of Scottish bagpipe performances. In the Asia Pacific West Village, vendors sold clothing, Polynesian art and jewelry. Stages between each village showcased near-constant music throughout the day. While Teva Oriata danced at one end of the festival, traditional Zimbabwean music was happening on the other. Each village had at least two food vendors amid the shops and stages, all of which created a dish just for World Beat. From crepes to fried plantains, the smells and tastes of the world came together. Started by the Salem Multicultural Institute in 1998, the first World Beat was created as a response to racial tensions in the city and out of a desire to celebrate the many cultures that exist across Oregon, according to the institute’s website. Now in its 29th year, even gray weather couldn’t dampen its vibrancy. Event staff use a ladder to release rainwater that collected on the top of a festival tent located above the amphitheater after heavy rain, preventing excess weight from damaging the structure during the World Beat Event. Kathleen Fish, who helped to found World Beat and is an executive director at the multicultural institute, said she was “happy with the turnout” of thousands throughout the weekend. Fish said that the start of events on Friday night’s opening events, which included a Cajun band and fire dancing filled the park’s amphitheater.  It was all made possible by  around 400 volunteers, including performers and experts, according to Fish. In addition to performances, interactive and educational activities throughout the festival helped foster understanding about Oceanic cultures. Children’s activity center volunteer Shawna Osenga assisted in making leis and kukui nut bracelets, both of which are traditional to Hawaii and typically worn for special occasions and celebrations.  Kids could come to the table where materials were laid out and could make their own lei and receive help from volunteers to tie it together. For the bracelets, children received help threading a bead, symbolic of a kukui nut, through a ribbon and measuring and tying the bracelet to their wrist. Osenga said that while she’s come to World Beat many times as a guest, this was her first time volunteering. “I love this festival, I am just a lover of all things culture. So this is having a great time, just looking at everything, outfits and all the cultures coming together. It’s so beautiful,” Osenga said. PHOTO GALLERY: World Beat performers, volunteers bring vibrancy to rainy festival Contact reporter Reilly Norgren: [email protected] UP: “Thank you for your fair, thorough, and fearless reporting.” Subscribing to Salem Reporter helps sustain in-depth, local reporting that Salem depends on. Invest in your community’s news. Subscribe today. The post Culture, community shine at 2026 World Beat Festival despite rainy weather appeared first on Salem Reporter. ...read more read less